Bodywork The Science of Yoga Nidra
Bodywork
The Science of Yoga Nidra
Written Researched and taught by
Deanna Markesteyn LMT BA RYT
Advanced Bodywork 412-983-8688
Yoga Nidra, a Calming Yoga, is a powerful therapeutic tool empowering participants to heal past experiences and make healthy changes in their life.
‘Yoga’ means integration and ‘Nidra’ means sleep. Therefore Yoga Nidra is integrative sleep. The difference between sleep and Yoga Nidra is that the participant in Yoga Nidra is in a conscious state. The body reaches that state of bliss also known as delta sleep or deep sleep tapping into the “internal pharmacy” (Depak Chopra). In the delta sleep state our bodies release reparative hormones. In this conscious state of sleep, Amrit Yoga Nidra, the participant has the ability to become the witness not choosing for or against what they are witnessing. In this state a person is naturally happy, there is no I like it, I do not like it. Emotions habits and past events can be released or changed without reinforcing present unhealthy nerve path ways.
Albert Einstein said “You can’t fix the problem with the mind that created the problem”. Yoga Nidra is a tool that helps people move out of the thinking mind into the feeling centers of the body, in psychological terms this would be known as moving from the conscious to the subconscious mind. Dr. Candace Pert refers to the physical body as the subconscious mind. In my twenty years of experience in the field of bodywork and massage therapy, I have found this to be true. The reason this is important when using Yoga Nidra for PTSD is that nerve pathways are constantly being regenerated and rewritten. Yoga Nidra helps to regenerate and reprogram nerve pathways intentionally. The participate becomes active instead of reactive when faced with a life challenge or choice. Yoga Nidra helps to allow people to take action in life, instead of reactive responses that are driven by unconscious programing.
When nerve pathways are being reinforced the problem persists and can even get worse. The body does not know if the memory is from the past or in the present the body’s response, in a physiological way, acts as if the trauma is reoccurring. I like to use the example of being in love, when you are in love with someone you may relate a smell to that individual and if you smell that scent and the individual is nowhere in sight your body may feel a warm yummy response. Depak Chopra using the example of a young boy who was receiving chemo therapy the child was once exposed to the smell of the chemo ward without receiving chemo therapy his body remembered the side effects of the chemo therapy and he became physically ill as if he was receiving the chemo therapy.
Yoga Nidra is over 7000 years old; the ancient yogis developed this system without microscopes or studying cadavers. The terms used are often Sanskrit an ancient language. But there are several systems that correlate with the modern systems of the body we know today. For instance the chakra system correlates with the nervous system and the prana correlates with the endocrine system.
The first part of Yoga Nidra a Calming Yoga is the asana or poses this activity helps to relax and stimulate the biological systems helping to get the participates relaxed and releasing energy. This method also helps to balance the autonomic nervous system. When practicing Amrit Yoga you take the body into action and then relax the body, mimicking the way the parasympathetic and the sympathetic nervous systems operate in a healthy balance. This is an opportunity to practice letting go and feeling your body and getting out of the thinking centers and into the feeling centers. The asana or movements can be individualized according your ability to move.
The second part of Amrit Yoga Nidra a Calming Yoga is a deep meditation. The meditation is a guided meditation. The facilitator uses techniques and tools like breathing, imagery, sound and vibration. The participant uses a mantra, an intention, in this deep conscious state. The intention aids the participant in reprograming the old patterns of thinking, acting and feeling.
I have personally experienced and witnessed incredible responses to Yoga Nidra. The least it can do is quiet mind, relax body, trigger the relaxation response and help participants to sleep deeply.
Classes at Marshall Municipal Building Tuesdays at 7:00 pm until March 29
